Sheehan Hilborn Breen Collecting Toys & Gift Cards -Operation ELF

Over 50 Funeral Homes Welcome Holiday Donations through December 4th

Starting today through December 4th, Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home will be one of 53 funeral homes across Connecticut that will welcome donations of unwrapped toys and gift cards from the public to benefit the Connecticut National Guard families and Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Donations of gift cards and toys may be dropped off until December 4, 2019 at Sheehan Hilborn Breen at 1084 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford CT during regular business hours or call 860-561-3800 to arrange a different time to drop off.

"We are honored once again to be a West Hartford collection site for Operation E.L.F. and are thrilled to participate in this wonderful program which also benefits the Connecticut Children's Medical Center," said David Skinner of Sheehan Hilborn Breen. "We look forward to receiving your donations and we thank you very much for your generosity."

"As funeral directors and suppliers of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, we have held our own charitable holiday collection efforts for more than a decade, and this is fourth year that we also invite the public to bring donations of gift cards and unwrapped toys to local funeral homes," explains Edward J. Sheehy Jr., President of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association. "By doing so, we add 53 convenient community sites that supplement these organizations’ own collection efforts. We encourage state residents to take a few minutes and come donate an item that will mean so much to another Connecticut family." Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home will be a West Hartford collection site again this year.

All gift cards, toys and funds collected by the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association will be delivered directly to Operation E.L.F. and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center before the holidays. Operation E.L.F. welcomes gift cards of any dollar value to grocery, department stores, home supply stores, gas stations, and pharmacies, as well as unwrapped toys for young people of any age. These items will be given to families of Connecticut National Guard soldiers and airmen who are deployed during the holidays and throughout the year.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center welcomes new and unwrapped toys that are appropriate for hospitalized infants, children, adolescents or teenagers and do not pose a safety hazard, such as those with sharp edges or small, removable or easily breakable parts. These toys will be distributed to patients around the holidays and at different times of the year.

Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home, serving greater West Hartford area families for 70 years, is known for its compassion, service, trust and integrity. It is also a permanent collection site for the WEST HARTFORD FOOD PANTRY and food or personal care items are also welcome throughout the year. www.sheehanhilbornbreen.com

Sheehan Hilborn Funeral Home is a member of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association (CFDA). The 131-year-old Connecticut Funeral Directors Association is comprised of funeral directors at more than 220 funeral homes. Based in Wethersfield, Conn., the professional organization is committed to the promotion and advocacy of high ethical standards in funeral service. This includes the development and presentation of ongoing professional training opportunities for practitioners and educational programs for association members and the public. For more information about the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association or its holiday collection drive, call 860-721-0234 or 800-919-2332 or visit www.ctfda.org

The Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization that provides emergency financial assistance for Connecticut National Guard members and their families. Operation ELF assists the families of Connecticut National Guard soldiers and airmen who are deployed during the holidays and provides a wide range of support to military families throughout the year. For more information about the Foundation, call 800-858-2677 or visit www.ctngfi.org.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center is a nationally recognized, 187-bed not-for-profit children’s hospital in Hartford. Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation, we foster a patient- and family-centered environment with a focus on research, education and advocacy. Connecticut Children’s serves as the primary pediatric teaching hospital for the UConn School of Medicine, has a teaching partnership with the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University and is a research partner of The Jackson Laboratory. Connecticut Children’s welcomes, cares for and protects all children who walk through our doors. We are an institution of acceptance and compassion regardless of nationality or immigration status. For more information, visit www.connecticutchildrens.org

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Media Contact: Laura Soll, Communications – Connecticut Funeral Directors Association

860-688-4499, Cell 860-833-4466, Laura@sollpr.com